Review: Todd Rundgren-‘Global’

“Everybody can’t paint the Mona Lisa, everybody can’t be a millionaire…everybody can’t make a perfect pizza/ Because we’re all together again…”.

Although the opening lyric of Todd Rundgren’s grungy synth-symphony Global seems like nothing profounder than a kooky string of words, coming from him—the line is almost prophetic. For any other renowned artist with a ’70s-and-beyond resumé [mostly] of the perfect-pop variety, a swerve into slightly chaotic, digitally mixed-and-mashed EDM-tinged material would yield an eye-roll. And yet–for the 48-year vet Rundgren—such a plunge is naturally acceptable; plainly, it’s another destined-to-be-cool Todd-venture.

Alarm-clock loud, “Evrybody” is our first riotous specimen of the mixmaster’s recent sound experiment: a martian hybrid of stadium rock, techno, trance, and pop balladry. It’s a ragged-voice anthem with pounding cymbals and facetious references to Hollywood folly (“Everybody can’t be a movie star”/”Everybody can’t get a twerk from Miley”). An undercover sneer at pop culture, Rundgren’s intro track is zany and self-deprecating, though a deeper message of minimalism lurks within its silliness.

Global is a taste of Rundgren’s penchant for the prismatic avant-garde, whether it’s tying humankind metaphor to the milky way or belting “I want to wrap my arms around the world” falsetto-style, while a techno-tronic beat—lasers and all—thumps below. Self-produced, the 12-track work is nothing other than a highly picky composer’s latest masterpiece; one who exerts just as much creative energy when penning a soft radio-pop ballad or constructing a deep-bass EDM chorus.

The album sounds nothing like Something/Anything orTodd, nor Arena, or State. Yet, in Global’s aesthetic divergence from Rundgren-‘norm’ lies its significance. A celestial array of bright, disco-dancefloor beats and starry contemplation, it’s as personal a peek into the singer-producer’s latest sound dabblings as one can get—and the utmost proof that he’s as relevant as ever.